THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO
Happy Holidays
Advertising & news enquiries: Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 20 #33 TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2006 22,300 copies every week $1 at newsagents only
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B A B Y,
T H E
R A I N
More runs on the board for Shire’s sportsďŹ elds Two major sports complexes in the north and south of the Shire have moved closer to construction as Council voted to proceed with plans for a site at North Ocean Shores and Ewingsdale. Just over $170,000 has been allocated to start work on sportsďŹ elds at Ewingsdale Road, opposite Island Quarry, and investigations are under way for grant funding opportunities for the balance of the budget. In the north of the shire, a favourable consultant’s report on a 50 hectare parcel
of land next to the highway at the Yelgun interchange has spurred Council into starting negotiations to buy the land for sporting ďŹ elds. ‘There is still a long way to go but it is a step in the right direction,’ said Cr Jan Mangleson. ‘If Council can acquire the land I think it would be excellent and would cater to the Ocean Shores catchment area and the rural north. It would be marvellous for the north of the shire.’ ‘The RTA are building a local access road which
Peak oil experience
would run virtually from the Brunswick River to the site. My understanding is that Council is negotiating with the RTA to provide bike paths in the road construction. It would be wonderful if that were the case,’ said Cr Mangleson. The wheels of change move slowly in Council particularly in relation to major land purchases. Cr Mangleson added that she was not sure if the land, which is owned by property developer Chum Vidgen, was still for sale and whether the asking price matched the valuation obtained by Council. Meanwhile the decision to sell Lot 107 at Shara Boulevarde, the site originally identiďŹ ed for sporting ďŹ elds in Ocean Shores, was discussed by Council on December 20. The RTA have offered to buy the land, however The Echo understands that Council was negotiating over the purchase price. While a resolution was made on December 20, the details remain conďŹ dential and a move to overturn the resolution has been lodged by Crs Tucker, Woods and Mangleson. The Echo’s educated guess is that a wrangle is taking place between those continued on page 2
Jennifer O’Neil experiences the deep relaxation of an Ayurvedic, Shiro Dhara treatment, where warm oil is dripped onto the third eye region by Eddy Macpherson from Murwillumbah’s Starlight Healing Centre. Eddy’s was one of 35 stalls and displays showcased in this year’s Starlight Wellbeing Expo held last weekend at the Bangalow A&I Hall. Photo Jeff ‘Alittledab’lldoya’ Dawson
M U S T
FA L L
Fire works for wet crowd
Even though the weather was less than clement, the crowd came out in force and its enthusiasm couldn’t be dampened. The synchronised Ooohing and Ahhing was performed faultlessly by the assembled multitude. The annual Brunswick Heads fireworks display is put on by the McGregor Family Carnival and the Woodchop Committee. Photo Jeff ‘Cracker’ Dawson
Nationals oppose highway toll Lesley Patterson The State opposition will not support tolls on the PaciďŹ c Highway said Deputy Leader of the Nationals, Don Page on Monday. Leader of the Nationals and Shadow Minister for Roads Andrew Stoner arrived in Ballina today (Tuesday) to announce his opposition to a plan by the State Labor government to investigate tolls as a way of speeding up construction on the PaciďŹ c Highway north of Newcastle. ‘We believe the road should be publicly funded, this is a more appropriate mechanism to use for the main road joining Queensland and Sydney,’ Mr Page told The Echo. Calculations by the Nationals indicate that tolls on motorists would have to be substantial to repay the investment by the private sector to upgrade the highway because of the low vehicle numbers in
country areas as compared to city toll projects. ‘The bottom line is that in country areas trafďŹ c volumes are not as high as in the city. Whereas tolls in the city might be reasonable we would have to pay substantial tolls in the country. We don’t want the country to be asked to sign a blank cheque in relation to tolls. There is no guarantee we wouldn’t see motorists being charged a hefty toll. ‘If the private sector operates the toll road then they have a financial dividend that they must extract for their shareholders. If the government does it [operates the road] they are producing a social dividend,’ said Mr Page. Under the new funding arrangements for the upgrade of the PaciďŹ c Highway, the state and federal governments are each contributing $160 million a year. This
needs to be doubled, says Don Page, to deliver an upgraded highway in seven and a half years instead of the current 15 year time line. ‘Three hundred and twenty million dollars per year is not a lot of money. We should double it and then we’d see some action.’ The Transport Workers Union has also announced its objection to the spectre of $70 one way tolls raised by the Federal government. ‘Although the upgrade is essential, this massive toll would mean truck drivers and the general public would be paying for this road twice over. The government is double dipping into the public’s back pocket. We’ve already paid for it through taxes and general road charges and now we have to pay for it again. If the federal government is serious about continued on page 2
Hot summer sale
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